Sting to tour with Royal Philharmonic

NEW YORK (Billboard) - “Roxanne” is getting the royal treatment this summer.

Police frontman Sting announced this week that he’ll embark on a solo tour, bringing the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a four-piece backing band along for the ride.

The tour promises to reimagine Sting’s “most celebrated songs” within a symphonic context. Police tracks such as “Roxanne,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Every Breath You Take” will be coupled with cuts from Sting’s solo career, including songs such as “Fields of Gold” and “Englishman in New York.”

The tour kicks off on June 2 at Vancouver’s Center for the Performing Arts. Only four other dates have been confirmed so far: June 9 at Red Rocks in Morrison, Col.; June 15 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; and two nights at Ravinia Park in Chicago, July 17-18.

Sting’s latest release was 2009’s “If On A Winter’s Night,” which has sold 537,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. His last proper pop record was 2003’s “Sacred Love,” which has sold 1.2 million.

The last time North American audiences got a taste of Sting was on the Police’s reunion tour in 2007, which was the top grossing outing that year, selling more than 1.8 million tickets worth $212 million.